Santostefano was performing stand-up comedy in his hometown of Boston during his teens. While attending New York University Film School he began working professionally as a director, creating short films and documentaries. After college, he established a production company where he developed and directed film and television projects for HBO, Showtime, PBS and Paramount Television. He also directed several Off-Broadway stage productions including plays at The American Place Theatre. For the BAM Festival, he directed Stockhausen's contemporary opera Leben.[citation needed]
Santostefano began a screenwriting career upon selling his first screenplay to Columbia Pictures and has since written and co-written screenplays for several studios.
Filmography (as director)
Film
Greenpoint: Turning the Tide (1981) (documentary short)[2]